The conventional method of producing sheets containing representations of bingo cards involves the formulation of the permutations of playable bingo cards, verification to avoid duplication, and standard offset printing equipment. In this conventional process, low unit costs can be maintained only by printing the bingo card representations on large paper sheets. Typically 36 cards would be printed on a sheet, consisting of 6 columns of 6 rows each. Naturally, in reduce to avoid card duplication among players at the same game, each card printed should be different from each other card printed for a given "lot" of cards, which may typically be 6,000 cards, 9,000 cards or 18,000 cards.
After the sheets have been printed, they are collated to produce a book which may, for example, have 20 pages. Conventional techniques make each page a different colour so that the different kinds of bingo games can be colour-coded. The use of different colours requires extra handling and costs.
After the large sheets of paper have been collated into stacks, they are cut into smaller sizes in a specific procedure. Then the individual pads of typically 5 to 30 pages long require gluing along one edge. This is normally done by hand.
It will thus be appreciated that, in the conventional procedure utilizing offset printing, the photographic techniques require a master printing plate for each large-sized sheet. This means that a large number of plates are required, and these plates must be protected and maintained, as well as being stored. Because many types of bingo are being played currently, again many master printing plates are required for each type.
A further disadvantage relating to the conventional technique is the necessity of purchasing and maintaining expensive printing and handling equipment. In addition, a large building space is required not only for the printing equipment, but for the storage of materials, including the plates.
Because a central printing source is required in order to maintain low equipment costs, the result is high shipping and freight costs, as well as scheduling problems.
Naturally, adequate numbers of well trained and highly labour-intensive staff are required to do all of the above work.
The conventional system does not have the flexibility for quickly inserting advertising material into the pads, which could be a source of revenue, nor is there any flexibility for format variety. Once the plates are prepared, they absolutely determine the nature of the end product.
There is further no flexibility for language considerations, for example French, English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and other options.
Finally, the conventional method requires a high inventory of bingo card sheets to be kept in storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,127, issued May 15, 1984 to Frain, is typical of the prior art.
Two other prior patents of interest are U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,774, issued June 2, 1981 to G. W. Barnes, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,708, issued Aug. 16, 1983 to M. Goldman et al. Barnes is representative of the prior art, by reason of using an endless-loop belt press which accommodates a large number of pre-established printing plates which presumably are such as to avoid bingo card duplication. Barnes does not actually select the configurations. In view of the use by Barnes of an endless-loop belt press in one pass (a complete circulation of the belt), his method cannot be linked to a computer-controlled method either explicitly or implicitly. It is clear that Barnes operates on the assumption that previously selected card combinations will already be available.
Goldman, by contrast, does not describe or discuss any methodology for producing bingo cards. Essentially, Goldman uses a computer to control the selection of alphanumeric configurations of a specific number for a lottery ticket, and the printing of that number. While it is true that Goldman mentions bingo cards in his disclosure, it is clear that Goldman regards bingo cards merely as a substrate on which his lottery numbers can be printed, without interfering with the use of the card for playing bingo. In other words, the lottery idea is additional to the use of the card as a bingo card. Goldman employs a single or double algorithm (a kind of mathematical formula) into which he plugs each of a series of sequential numbers, these being the serial numbers which are shown at lower left in FIG. 1 of Goldman. The algorithm or algorithms then operate on each number in sequence, and produce from each number a lottery number which is then printed in the upper right-hand corner of the ticket. Because of the nature of the algorithms, there is a false impression of randomness in the resulting lottery numbers, such that the casual observer would not be able to detect the sequence or system by which the lottery numbers are generated from sequential serial numbers. It is important to realize, however, that the process of Goldman is not a random one. One of the purposes behind the Goldman procedure is to allow a cross-check on a ticket presented as a winning ticket, to ensure that the ticket holder has not printed the ticket himself, or altered another ticket (for example, by changing a 3 to an 8, etc.) This is done at the time of presentation of the winning ticket by inputting the serial number of the ticket into a computer programmed with the same algorithm or algorithms that were originally used. If the resultant number is the same as the lottery number that appears on the ticket, then one can be sure that the lottery ticket is genuine. Thus, it is clear that Goldman does not use true randomness for his lottery number, since then it would not be possible to carry out the cross-check just explained.